Existing law requires, during the official canvass of an election in which a voting system is used, the official conducting the election to conduct a public manual tally of the ballots tabulated by those devices, including vote by mail voters' ballots, cast in 1% of the precincts chosen at random by the elections official. This bill would authorize an official who conducts an election in San Luis Obispo County, Santa Barbara County, Santa Clara County, or Santa Cruz County that takes place on June 8, 2010, June 22, 2010, or August 17, 2010, to conduct a public manual tally by alternative means than those described above. Specifically, the bill would permit the official conducting the election to conduct a separate manual tally of the ballots cast in 1% of the precincts chosen at random by the elections official and a separate manual tally of no less than 1% of the vote by mail ballots cast in the election. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Sponsored bills
This measure would proclaim May 2010 as Buy California Small Business First Month to raise awareness that when California consumers, businesses, colleges, universities, and governmental agencies choose to first support California small businesses when making purchasing decisions, a wave of positive economic impacts occurs within the state and local economies.
This measure would proclaim May 2 through May 8, 2010, as Cinco de Mayo Week, and would urge all Californians to join in celebrating Cinco de Mayo.
Existing federal law, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) , requires group health plans providing coverage to employers of 20 or more employees to provide former employees with continuation of benefits, as specified. The federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provides up to 9 months of premium assistance under COBRA and comparable state continuation coverage programs for certain eligible individuals whose employment was involuntarily terminated between September 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009, as specified. Subsequent federal legislation extends that premium assistance for a specified period of time, makes the assistance available to certain eligible individuals whose employment is involuntarily terminated on or after January 1, 2010, and provides a special election opportunity for certain eligible individuals who experience a reduction in hours followed by an involuntary termination of employment, as specified. Existing federal law requires a plan administrator or other entity involved to provide notices regarding that assistance to certain qualified beneficiaries within specified periods of time. The Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law also provides for regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. The California Continuation Benefits Replacement Act (Cal-COBRA) requires health care service plans and health insurers providing group coverage to employers of 2 to 19 employees to offer continuation of that coverage for a specified period of time to certain qualified beneficiaries, as specified. Existing law requires Cal-COBRA plans and insurers to provide notice of the availability of premium assistance under ARRA to qualified beneficiaries who experience a qualifying event between September 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009, as specified. This bill would require those plans and insurers to also provide notice of the availability of premium assistance to qualified beneficiaries who experience a qualifying event between January 1, 2010, and specified dates under federal law and would additionally require plans and insurers to notify qualified beneficiaries eligible for premium assistance of the extension of premium assistance made available by federal law consistent with the notice requirements imposed under that law. The bill would require plans and insurers to give certain qualified beneficiaries whose employment is terminated on or after March 1, 2010, written notice regarding the availability of premium assistance and the special election opportunity provided under ARRA and would allow beneficiaries eligible for that or any other special election opportunity under ARRA to elect continuation coverage within 60 days of the notice required under federal law. The bill would also require plans and insurers to provide information regarding the federal premium assistance and any special election periods under ARRA on their Internet Web sites, as specified, and would apply certain notice requirements to employers of employees whose employment has been terminated on or after March 2, 2010. The bill would authorize the Department of Managed Health Care to designate model notices for purposes of implementing federal premium assistance, as specified, and would make other conforming changes. Because a willful violation of these requirements by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
This measure would request the Congress to develop a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for marine aquaculture that undergoes complete environmental review and is at least as protective as that codified in California's Sustainable Oceans Act to address environmental and economic concerns.
This measure would designate Friday, May 7, 2010, as California Peace Officers' Memorial Day and would urge all Californians to use that day to honor California peace officers.
This bill would recognize the month of June as Portuguese Heritage Month.
This measure would declare May 2010 to be American Stroke Month in California and would urge all Californians to familiarize themselves with the risk factors, and to recognize the warning signs and symptoms associated with stroke, to help reduce the devastating effects of stroke on the population.
This measure would designate April 2010 as Autism Awareness Month, would affirm the Legislature's commitment to the important issues related to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) , would emphasize that each and every individual with an ASD is a valued and important member of our society, would recognize and commend the parents and relatives of individuals with ASDs for their sacrifice and dedication in providing for the special needs of individuals with ASDs, would recognize and commend the work of all nonprofit organizations that are contributing to the well-being of individuals with autism and their families, and would stress the need to identify children with ASDs and to begin early intervention services immediately after a child has been diagnosed with an ASD.
This measure would urge the Congress and the President of the United States to adopt the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009 (H.R. 1283) , which institutes a policy of nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation, and to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.